Lions’ defense paves way to win over Tigers

Tony Marquis

WACO — The Tigers did their best to slow the unstoppable Waco rushing game.

Too bad the Lions defense is just as dominant.

No. 2 Waco held the Tigers to 208 yards of offense in a 31-13 win at Waco ISD Stadium on Friday. The Tigers had nine first downs in the game, compared to 20 for the Lions, who rushed for 274 yards.

The Tigers (2-1) didn’t help themselves with two mistakes on special teams. A bad snap cost the Tigers a field goal and another set up a Waco (3-0) touchdown that put the Lions ahead by 11 points in the second half.

“We played good, our defense played great,” Henigan said. “They dominated our offense and we had a couple of self-inflicted wounds on the special teams that cost us the game.”

With the score 24-13 in the fourth quarter, the Tigers put together a 15-play drive but a low snap on a 38-yard field goal attempt couldn’t be handled by holder Tyler Harrison.

On the next drive, Lions’ fourth or fourth tailbacks Toylon Clark scored a touchdown to put the game out of reach. Clark had 73 yards in relief of Jarred Salubi, who rushed for 107 yards in the first half before leaving with an apparent leg injury.

Clark wasn’t the only Waco running back to make an impact. Six different Lions players carried the ball to help Waco average six yards per carry against the Tigers defense.

“Their rushing attack is good, but their defense is what makes their rushing attack great,” Henigan said.

Before the Tigers’ fourth-quarter drive, they had only four first downs and a couple of big plays including a 68-yard touchdown from Ethan Bryant to Omarius Hines, who took the a short pass for the score.

It was the Tigers defense that kept them in the game early.

With a sprained wrist, Wylum Bivins intercepted a Clarence Willis pass in the second quarter, bobbling the ball of his right hand then bringing it in with both, taking the ball 34 yards for a touchdown. Bivins’ touchdown put the Tigers up 13-10 — the first time Waco (2-0) has trailed an opponent this season.

The Lions came back with a 7-yard touchdown run by Willis, who ran most of his 46 yards on option plays — despite the absence of Salubi.

With Dugas having fumble trouble in the first half and Salubi going down with an injury, the next option was Clark, who coach Johnny Tusa said was “down there somewhere” on the depth chart. One of Waco’s leading rushers, tailback Charles Silmon, did not play Friday.

“Somebody goes down, somebody’s got to stand up,” Tusa said. “We’re playing a good team and we had to overcome some adversity, I’m just proud we were able to get the job done — especially in the second half.”

The Lions beat the Tigers twice last season, eliminating them in the bi-district round of the playoffs in a 41-17 game at Tiger Stadium.

Waco is ranked No. 2 in the Associated Press Top 10 poll and are receiving four first-place votes. The Tigers are an unofficial 13th with six total votes.

The Lions beat the Tigers last year by an average of 24 points and had more than 300 rushing yards per game.

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Tony Marquis may be reached via e-mail at tmarquis@corsicanadailysun.com

Waco 31, Corsicana 13

Corsicana 0 13 0 0 — 13

Waco 3 14 7 7 — 31

First Quarter

W — Ernesto Guevara 33 FG 7:36

Second Quarter

W — Jarred Salubi 13 run (Guevara kick) 4:25

C — Omarius Hines 68 pass from Ethan Bryant (run failed) 4:02

C — Wylum Bivins 34 interception return (Kyle Richardson kick) 3:39

W — Clarence Willis 7 run (Guevara kick) 1:20

Third Quarter

W — Bronshae’Keon Dugas 2 run (Guevara kick) 8:15

Fourth Quarter

W — Toylon Clark 31 run (Guevara kick) 1:18

C W

First downs 9 20

Rush-yards 29-114 46-274

Passing yards 94 82

C-A-I 6-13-0 7-15-1

Fumbles-lost 0-0 3-1

Punts-avg. 4-36 2-30

Penalties-yards 0-0 4-30

Individual

Rushing — C: Scotty Bryant 15-72, Omarius Hines 2-7, C.J. Fowler 3-25, E. Bryant 7-10. W: Jarred Salubi 13-107, Bronshae’Keon Dugas 8-17, Peter Smith 1-10, Keyshun Russell 5-14, Clarence Willis 11-46, Lamarquet Jones 1-7, Toylon Clark 7-73.

Passing — C: Ethan Bryant 6-13-0-94. W: Clarence Willis 7-15-1-82.

Receiving — C: Omarius Hines 3-84, C.J. Fowler 1-4, Nea Williams 1-3, Jonathan Neal 1-3, Scotty Bryant 1(-3). W: Walter Hardin 3-33, Denzel

Mitchell 1-30, Keyshun Russell 1-9, Jarred Salubi 1-6, Bronshae’Keon Dugas 1-4.